Transformation · lines 1 and 3
Initial Obstacles becomes Held Back
What this change means
Thunder below turns into a mountain as the first and third lines move, and a restless start meets something that won't budge. The third line leads: you're tempted to chase what you want without a guide, and the more you push, the deeper you get into the woods. Stepping back is the wiser choice until conditions improve. The first line supports this from the ground up: stay put, keep steady, and let others act on your behalf.
The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, describes the road from here. Each time you advance, something stops you, and you have to pause, step back, and look for people who think like you and will lend their support. That isn't failure. It's the way through, one obstacle at a time, until the way clears. Watch for impatience. Turn your energy toward finding allies and letting the right moment come to you.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 3 Initial Obstacles
Right now obstacles aren't solved by acting: they're solved by stepping back until conditions improve.
Chasing the deer with no gamekeeper, only going deeper into the forest. The noble person sees the sign and would rather let it go. Going on: distress.
- Line 1 of 3 Initial Obstacles
It's time to let others act for you.
Hesitating, circling by the rock. Abiding in constancy is favorable. It is favorable to install lords.
- The judgment of 3 Initial Obstacles
This isn't the time to act directly: look for people who can act for you, allies who represent you. Still, stay alert so you know when the time comes to take back the initiative and control.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. Having somewhere to go is of no use yet. It is favorable to install lords.
- The judgment of 39 Held Back
Every time you advance, something blocks you, forcing you to stop, step back, and look for help from like-minded people who give you their support. That way you'll get past the obstacles one by one until the final victory.
The southwest is favorable; the northeast is not. It is favorable to see the great person. Constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
39 Held Back → 3 Initial Obstacleslines 1 and 3
Other transformations of Initial Obstacles
- 29Waterlines 1 and 2
- 5Inactionlines 2 and 3
- 45Meetinglines 1 and 4
- 58Inner Peacelines 2 and 4
- 49Renewallines 3 and 4
- 2Passivitylines 1 and 5
- 19Fleeting Successlines 2 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 3 and 5
- 51Shocklines 4 and 5
- 20Observinglines 1 and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 2 and 6
- 37The Tribelines 3 and 6
- 25Innocencelines 4 and 6
- 27Nourishmentlines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.